Controlling the starting and working of engines.



A. BSPLBN.

CONTROLLING THE STARTING AND WORKING OI ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED MAIL.21. 1914.

1,106,197, Patented Aug.4,1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS COHVPHOTOLITHON WASHINGTON, Dv CI ALEXANDER ESPLEN, 0FLIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

CONTROLLING THE STARTING AND WORKING- OF ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Am. 4, 1914 Application filed. March 21, 1914. Serial No.826,299.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ESPLEN, asubject of the King of England, residing at Liverpool, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inor Connected w1th the Controlling of the Starting and Working ofEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to controlling the operation of powerengines, such as propelling engines of steamships, by or throughtelegraphic apparatus, extending between the place of command of theship, on which the actuating or transmitting instrument is placed, andthe engine room. And more particularly, it has reference to that systemof control wherein a valve gear or a valve which distributes pressurefluid to a power cylinder or the like of the reversing engine, isoperated by the controlling apparatus and is closed automatically by thesaid. engine on the completion of the required movement thereof.

According to this invention, there is employed in combination with thereversing engine and a valvular apparatus which is automatically closedby the said engine, a hand operated telegraph instrument by which theapparatus is opened from any convenient place for the supply of motivefluid to the engine.

The invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate it diagrammatically, in Figure1; while Fig. 2 is a detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents generally the reversing enginemachinery, of which 2 represents the cylinder of the en gine; and 3 isthe usual fly-wheel; and at is th steam pipe supplylng steam to the engine 2.

5 represents the usual weigh shaft of the main engine; and 6 the motortransmlssion arm or crank upon it.

7 represents the eccentric link of the engine; and 8 the connecting barsconnecting the link 7 to the lever 6. e

10 generally represents the valvular apparatus controlling the supply ofsteam to the engine 2; and 20 represents the instrument, which say, maybe the transmittlng instrument on the bridge or equivalent place, of theengine-room telegraphs through which the movements of the mechanismrequired are effected; and also the orders or notification aretransmitted to the engine-room, which will be fitted with a receivingtelegraph instrument of the usual kind.

The valvular apparatus 10 shown, consists of a casing on the steam pipe4 comn'ising a closed chamber or cylinder 11; a crmtrolling portion ofwhich contains within it a steam supply controlling valve 13 of thenone-cturn type, closing in the direction of the steam; and which, ifdesired, can be balanced by an equilibrium arrangement, not shown.

The reversing engine 2 is adapted to be started when the main enginesare to be reversed from ahead to astern, or astern to ahead; and thiswill take place when the handle of the transmitting instrument 20 ismoved from the central or stop position in one direction or the other;and this is effected by the openingand closing of the valve 13 by thefollowing means: Through the telegraph chains or connections 21, 22,motion is transmitted from the transmitter 20 to a wheel 23 in theengineroom, which operates upon a cylindrical cam having its axisobliquely disposed to its carrying shaft 25, and this shaftwhich passesthrough packed glands into the cylinderis rocked to and fro from thewheel 23, through a connecting rod 26, and an arm 27, one end of whichfits over the shaft 25, and througln a feather, fitting in a grooveengages the shaft; and this arm will rock the shaft 25 and the cam 24,in one direction or the other, according to the direction in which theinstrument 20 is moved.

Various positions longitudinally are given to the cam 25 by the movementof the engine 1 and reversing gear, in the case shown, through aconnecting rod 28 connecting the weigh shaft arm 6, with the shaft 25,through the lever 29. That is, as the reversing engine works and movesthe weigh shaft arm 6, the shaft 25 and the cam 24 are concommittentlymoved, and, similarly, stopped. The movement of the reversing engine 1on the weigh shaft 5, and arm 6, will be through worm gear, and suitableconnecting up means, in the usual, or an knownway. As the lever orhandle of the telegraph instrument 20 is moved in either direction fromthe central position, the cam is revolved a corresponding degree andacts as an operating eccentric to the valve and 4 moves it, and lifts itoii its seat, and supplies steam through the pipe 4 to the enginecylinder 2; according to the amount the handle is moved, and .the cam24: thereby revolved, so the amount of steam to the engine 2 will vary.In this condition, the engine l of the reversing gear will revolve, andthrough the gear it operates, the shaft 5 will be rocked, and the enginelinks 8 will be thrown over to the opposite position to which they stoodin; and thereby through the shaft 25, and connections 28 and 29, the cam24: will be moved longitudinally so that the lower end of the valvespindle will be lowered until the valve is closed, and so steam ceasesto be supplied to the engine 1 and it stops; and this can take placewhen the links 8 are thrown over to their extreme positions, or to anyintermediate position. Not only is steam thus cut off to the reversingengine, but it is also cut off to the cylinder 30 of a steam brake gear,operating in connection with the fly-wheel 3, so that the engine isbraked and its momentum destroyed, as well as the steam bein cut off.Moreover, if desired, the exhaust from the engine 1 may be stopped orclosed, so as to assist in stopping the engine; and this closure may beeffected by a suitable valve which will be operated by the cam 24, or anequivalent cam, operated from the weigh shaft or links, similarly as thecam 2'1 l/Vhen the valve 13 is open, and steam is passing to the engine1, it will also pass from the valvular apparatus 10 by a pipe 31 to theouter end 30 of the brake cylinder, which has within it a piston, whichis moved backward by the steam, and removes a brake block 33 from thefly wheel 3; while it is normally pressed in the opposite direction by aspring in the back end of the cylinder, which through the lever 32,presses the brake block 33 on to the wheel 3. Thus by the valve beingmoved more or less by a greater or less degree of rotation of the cam24, according to the degree of movement of the handle of the instrument20, so the engine 1 will run a certain amount, and the cam 24- will becorrespondingly moved longitudinally; and thereby the valve will dropdown as the inclined portion of the cam on which it is resting, movesaway from it; and when it has closed the engine 1 stops. Thus,accordingly, as the handle of the instrument 20 is moved more or less,so will the reversing gear be caused to work a certain amount, more orless, and then stop; so producing a variable or step by step motion ofthe links. That is to say, this step by step action will correspond withthe degree of movement of the telegraph appliance 20, and with therequirements; namely, as to whether the main engines are to be movedfast or slow, or at various intermediate speeds.

While the invention has been described more particularly as applied to aparticular type of reversing mechanism, it may also be applied to otherkinds of reversing gears, which work under analogous or equivalentconditions. i

' What is claimed is 1. In an engine reversing gear, the combination ofa rotary power reversing mechanism, a main engine reversing mechanism,manually operating mechanism, a controlling valve on the steam pipe ofthe reversing mechanism including a cam, means for operating said valve,connections between said manually operating machanism and the valveoperating means to open and close said controlling valve, and mechanismbetween the main engine reversing mechanism and said valve operatingmeans, whereby the cam is moved to actuate the valve.

2. In engine reversing gear, the combination of a rotary power reversingmechanism, a main engine reversing shaft connected with the rotary powerreversing mechanism, manually operating mechanism, a controlling valveon the steam supply pipe of the engine of'the rotary power reversingmechanism, a rocking cam to open and close the valve a shaft carryingsaid cam, connections between the manually operating mechanism and theshaft, to operate same, and connecting means between the reversing shaftand the cam carrying shaft to move the latter longitudinally, and causethe cam to operate the valve.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of main enginereversing mechanism, power reversing mechanism, a controlling valve inthe supply pipe of the reversing mechanism, a power brake op erating onthe power reversing mechanism and controlled by the valve, valveoperating means, a connection between the latter means and the mainengine reversing mechanism, and operating mechanism for operating thevalve operating means to open the valve, the valve operating means beingmoved by the main engine reversing mechanism to close the valve.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of main enginereversing mechanism, power reversing mechanism to operate the mainengine reversing mechanism, a valve in the supply pipe of the powerreversing mechanism, valve operating means including a shaft and a valveactuating device, .means for rocking the shaft to cause the valveactuating device to open the valve, and a connection between the mainengine reversing mechanism and the shaft to slide the latter to seek thevalve.

5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of main enginereversing mechanism, power reversing mechanism including a wheel, meansconnecting the main engine reversing mechanism and the engine reversingmechanism and the power reversing mechanism, a valve, valve actuatinmeans, means connected to the main va ve reversing mechanism to slidethe valve actuating means, and means to rock the valve actuating meansto open the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribin Witnesses.

LEXANDER ESPLEN. Witnesses:

SOMERVILLE GOODALL, EDWARD HUGHES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

